THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 1, 1996 TAG: 9603010464
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CURRITUCK LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
A proposed outdoor recreation park that did not amuse residents and property owners in southern Currituck County also did not win approval from the county's Board of Adjustments.
Wednesday night, board members denied a conditional use permit to Gary J. Dowdy Jr., who had hoped to set up an amusement park on vacant property in Point Harbor.
``As far as the county is concerned, that was the final decision last night,'' Jack Simoneau, the county's planning and inspections director, said Thursday morning.
Dowdy, who could not be reached Thursday, does have the option of appealing the decision to a Superior Court judge.
The three-phase amusement park, once completed, would have operated three Go-Kart tracks and a drag strip, fenced-in amusement rides and a miniature golf course from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. from April to October.
The applicant's grandfather runs a similar operation called Dowdy's Amusement Park in Nags Head, officials said.
About 200 Currituck County residents - some carrying anti-amusement park signs - packed the county's courthouse courtroom to protest the plans for a 10-acre tract located across from the upscale Parker's Landing subdivision.
``It was as good a showing against anything that I've seen,'' said Gary Dunstan, an Old Oak Estates resident who spoke against the proposal.
Dunstan said an amusement park in the heart of Point Harbor would ruin the residential flavor of the community, which includes a lot of retirees.
``It's going to hurt people's property values and our way of life,'' he said.
Apparently, the county board agreed.
Simoneau, who did not attend the meeting, said the board based its rejection of Dowdy's application on the failure to meet three of five criteria.
``They ruled that the use would materially endanger the public health or safety of residents or owners of surrounding properties,'' Simoneau said.
``The use would substantially injure the value of adjoining properties,'' said Simoneau. ``The board also said the use would not be in harmony with the area where it was to be located.''
The property, owned by John R. Sumrell of Fayetteville and zoned for general business, is surrounded by residences and vacant farmland.
The proposed park apparently did conform with the county's 1990 Land Use Plan and did not exceed the county's ability to provide adequate services and facilities.
Simoneau said county staff, and Board of Adjustments members, were concerned with traffic, operational hours, noise, lighting and drainage problems. by CNB